Press Release
~ Utah Historical Treasure Saved! ~

Locals in Laketown, UT thought the historical landmark which housed "The Old Rock Store" had seen its final days. But with the help of three ambitious friends the building has been brought back to life, better than ever before.

The struggling store had been closed and the decrepit ill maintained building sat, rotting, for nearly a year when three friends (Adam Silver, Shiloh Powers and Ben Barrus) decided to purchase the sad old building and turn it into a shared cabin.

"We didn't fully understand what we had undertaken until demolition began" states Adam Silver. "What we thought would take two months ended up lasting six months and nearly broke the bank"

Instead of a quick "carpet and paint" fix up like you see on so many "DIY" TV shows, the old building required extensive structural engineering and repairs. "Not one inch of the building was left unexposed" says Shiloh Powers. "We had to completely gut the place, tear it apart and then put it back together, the right way."

The entire plumbing and electrical systems were replaced to meet current building codes. And a new state of the art boiler system was installed for endless hot water and for efficiently heating the large floor spaces.

"It wasn't easy" said Ben Barrus "and the sad thing is, most of the work we did will never be seen, it's all buried behind sheetrock or hidden under the new floors. The entire main floor joist system was jacked up, taken apart piece by piece and then reinstalled on new supporting beams" At one point, only the buildings four exterior walls rested on the ground. The interior pillar system of the building had been raised and temporarily supported while new footings were poured. This meant that all three levels of the building were left "hovering" for nearly a week while forms were dug and cement cured.

Believe it or not, the three friends went so far as to dig the dirt floor down about a foot in order to create a more comfortable living area. "The only way to get the dirt out was in five gallon buckets, we figure we hauled about 2,000" says Silver. "It took three dump trucks to haul it all away, and we had done it with buckets!"

With it's new exterior lighting, patios, yard and fencing, the building looks more beautiful than it has in it's nearly 100 year history. But, as impressive as the outside has become, it's no match to what has been accomplished inside.

Etched and stained concrete floors (which remind you of a ritzy five star rustic hotel) meet you as you enter the front door. Two living areas invite you and your friends to sit by the fire and relax. A full kitchen with 60" range can accommodate some of the largest groups. Two fridges, three laundry areas, 8 bedrooms and 7 baths really make this a beautiful and functional lodge and retreat.

The three even finished and painted the interior to look like it may have at the turn of the century. While beautiful, this place is far from antique. State of the art security, satellite TV, high speed wireless internet and two of the largest TV's in the area make this place one of the coolest in the whole Bear Lake area. These three friends have given new life to a once doomed rundown building.

If you are in the area you may want to peek in the windows as you drive by. The three friends have done a spectacular job. Since the project turned out better than planned they have decided to rent it for family reunions and other groups looking to have a location for a retreat in beautiful Bear Lake.. The three have decided to call their massive 9,000 square foot cabin "Laketown Lodge Cabin"